Sunday, January 28, 2007

I'm sick of Peyton Manning to the point of hoping he gets a permanent case of laryngitis while doing a spastic billion-yell audible so he can run up the middle. That way he won't be able to do any more commercials.

So I was tentatively for the underdog Bears.

Then I read this, and I read guys actually sticking up for him in the comments.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Got this in the email at work today. I won't break down the door to go...but maybe I will (the price is right). I don't do inspriational.

In appreciation of teachers across the nation who give endlessly and enrich the lives of so many students, AMC Theatres and Paramount Pictures are offering teachers an exclusive opportunity to see the highly acclaimed inspirational film, Freedom Writers, free of charge. All teachers (a) throughout the U.S. are invited to visit an AMC theatre Friday, Jan. 26, through Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, to receive one free ticket to any showing of the film during that time. The offer is valid exclusively at all participating theatres in the AMC system including: AMC Loews theatres, AMC Star theatres, AMC Magic Johnson theatres and AMC Cineplex Odeon theatres (check local listings for film availability and show times).

"We are pleased to partner with our friends at Paramount to welcome teachers across the country to a free showing of Freedom Writers, said Peter C. Brown, Chairman and CEO, AMC Entertainment Inc. "We at AMC are indebted to all teachers for the selfless work they do to motivate, teach and encourage our children. In turn, we hope this will help express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for all that they do,often with very little 'thanks' in return."

Inspirational-teacher stuff is either glurge (God, but I hated Mr. Holland's Opus) or great teacher works against horrendous administration (Dangerous Minds, or Dead Poets Society, which I actually adore, perhaps because I saw it before I became a teacher). The message is that, to succeed as a teacher, one must fight the hopelessly flawed system. I'm not positive that's accurate.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

I've been told that, if I wanted to confirm all that is worst about our culture, that I should watch MTV's My Super Sweet 16.

Holy shit! What will become of these kids? Is there ANY CHANCE of them ever becoming self-aware?

In the episode I watched, this girl was thrown up on at her party...and I cheered! I'm not proud of that, but to be honest, ANYTHING to have a kid feel a genuine human emotion that is unconnected to vanity or conspicuous commercialism felt like progress to me. Even being barfed on.

My bride just put it best: "I think you really have to try to raise a child this shallow."

But it's mesmerizing. I'm now watching a second episode, where I have watched a mom buy her daughter $13,000 earrings, and watched a fairly offensive audition for the job of the four guys who will carry the girl into her parties. (The audition consisted of taking the ten buffest guys at her school, having them remove their shirts and hula hoop in front of ogling bikini-clad girls. If the genders were reversed, there'd be picketers at both MTV and at the parents' house.)

"This is the moment of a lifetime," one of the girls just said. Which sucks for her, since her lifetime likely has 70 years left in it.

Now the girl is Jaguar shopping with the dad. She's gone right to the $96,000 car. He says he'll talk it over with Mom. I hope what he's talking over is military school for her.

When I worry about my abilities as a parent (when the time comes), I guess I can turn on this show and be comfortable that I'll be better than a certain subset of our population.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

It doesn't look like I'll like this season as much, and I blame the women. The women in the first two seasons, as a collective, had a sense of adventure and genuine affection for their guys. They seemed to really be rooting for the men, and I found that sweet.

This year, I'm not getting that vibe. I'm just getting bullshit intramural female cattiness, which is a lot less interesting a show.

Monday, January 15, 2007

I threw $20 into an NFL Underdog Pool this year. Each week, each player chooses one NFL underdog that he/she thinks will win outright. If that team wins, the player gets the number of points that the team was an underdog by.

I have clinched the victory in the pool. (My strategy: spend the entire second half of the season picking the Titans every week.)

That's $220 I get to play with. Add that to my $200 in fantasy football winnings, and I've got a load of spending cash.

Net result: My earlier dilemma of "do I add it to the vacation fund or buy myself an Ipod" no longer exists. I can do BOTH!

Friday, January 12, 2007

I have categorized posts...all 584 of them. Once I figure out how to get a list of categories on here without negatively changing the look of this here place, I'll do it. Meanwhile, you can click on the little dealios under posts if you'd like.

Additionally, I have deleted a few less-visited blogs from the blogroll at right.

That's what happens when you have consecutive snow days and need stuff to do.

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

Frosty doesn't believe in global warming?

Al Gore is not a schoolteacher, but neither are you, Mr. Hardison. The teacher is. And he/she gets to make the decision of how to present this issue. And it's not an "issue." It's a fact. The earth is getting warmer. The argument isn't whether human beings are responsible. The only remaining scientific argument is over how much we are responsible.

They want "the other side" taught, but as the movie's producer puts it, "there is no other side to science." Mr. Hardison's arguments have no basis in the truth. He has a right to his political and religious views, but he cannot change viable fact.

The article talks about how scientists have grown to accept the premises of global warming pretty damned universally. To not teach it in a biology or earth science class would be malpractice. Shame on the Federal Way District for capitulating.

--"Wait! Point of order! Can we extend the day by three minutes so someone who hasn't given a speech all day can give a speech?"--"Absolutely! All in favor of extending the day?" (Unanimous ayes.) "Great! Now, who would like to give that speech?"--(Long, awkward silence)